smart fortwo recruits specials
March 2006
An eye-catching smart fortwo, liveried like a mini police car with blue and yellow “Battenberg” squares and complete with blue flashing light, is the novel method being employed by Cheshire Constabulary in its recruitment drive for special constables. Supplied under contract hire by Daimler Fleet Management (DFM), the smart fortwo “passion” is scheduled to make its debut at the Special Constabulary National Conference 2006.DFM is supporting the campaign by contributing to the branding and messaging on the strikingly liveried smart fortwo. Cheshire Constabulary has a target of recruiting 120 special constables a year, and its recruitment programme in 2005 involved attending 27 events across the county, including roadshows, county shows and career days organised in conjunction with colleges and local radio. The smart fortwo was provided through Mercedes-Benz Retail Group Corporate Sales Manchester.
Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of the Cheshire Constabulary, commented: “The Special Constabulary is one of the most remarkable examples of voluntary service that there is. I am very pleased that Daimler Fleet Management is supporting the Specials in this eye-catching way. We have seen a huge growth in the number of Specials across the country. They are making a most valuable contribution to local neighbourhood policing.”
The idea of using a smart fortwo as a promotional vehicle came to Cheshire Constabulary through cooperative projects between the police and the Cheshire Fire Service (CFS) to promote road safety. The CFS has its own “Battenberg” painted smart cars within its 20-unit fleet of smart fortwos supplied by DFM. The fleet is also liveried with fire protection messages, targeting the elderly and vulnerable throughout the local community. Both Cheshire Constabulary and the CFS are based at Winsford in Cheshire.
Tina Shelton, Specials Coordinator at Cheshire Constabulary, explained: “The Cheshire Fire Service has been successful in its promotions using smart cars and we believe that our own smart fortwo will provide a high visibility to our specials recruitment campaign. The team at DFM have given us excellent service and have been very supportive to our objectives.”
The Special Constabulary National Conference is being held from 31 March to 2 April at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Chester. The event is due to be opened by the Rt. Hon. Hazel Blears, Minister of State at the Home Office with responsibility for Policing, Security and Communities.
For further information, please contact:
Tracey Watson
Marketing Manager
(t) 01908 697 106